Cable-support



M. D. WOOD.

CABLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILE'D OCT. 21, 1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'lmmmml llllllllllllll M. D. WOOD.

CABLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. I920.

j 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Patented July 12,1921.

' and vibratin UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MERRITT D. WOOD, OFCLARK, SOUTH DAKOTA.

CABLE-SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MERRITT D. WOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clark, in the county of Clark and State of South Dakota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Supports; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oftheinvention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which itappertains to make and: use the same.

This invention and more specifically to an improved device forsupporting a cable on a storage battery-box of an automobile, althoughthis device is useful in other relations.

One object of this invention is to provide and include an improved, andexceedingly eflective device which securely, rigidly and adjustablyholds the terminal portion of a conducting, cable against bending,twisting, relative to the battery-box while permitting variousadjustments of the cable relative to the battery-box, also per-, mittingthe cable and its clamping device to be very quickly and easily removedfrom and replaced on a battery-box whennecessa or desirable. j

A further object is to provide an improved cable support including acomparatively inexpensive sheet metal supporting plate which strengthensand stifl'ens the battery-box so as to avoid splitting or separating ofjoints in the vertical sides and corners of the batter -box.

ther objects and advantages will be pointed out-or implied in thefollowing details of description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved cable support shown inconnection with a fragment of a battery-box. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the cable support shown in Fig. 1.

Figf 3 is a sectional view substantially along the line 3-3-3 of Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. 4, is a horizontal sectional view along the line 4--44of Figs. 2and 3. a

.Fig. 5 is a front view illustrating a slightly-modified form of thecable support, thesupportihg plate-having its lower portion broken ofl.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan .view illustrating portions of the structureshown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a- Specification of LettersPatent.

relates to cable supports,

form of a supporting plate intended to extend along the top edges of 3sides of the battery-box.

F 1g. 8 is a plan view of an adjusting and securing block or disk to beused in connect1on with any one of the several forms of' the supportingplate.

, Patented July 12, 1921.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,563. l t

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a rectangular supporting platefor adjustment to one upr ght corner and two upright sides of thebattery-box.

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the supportmg plate intended .to beused either on one plane side of the battery-box, or bent into the shapeshown in Fig. 9 for use on a corner and 2 sides of the box.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in

which similar reference characters corremerely to show how the device isapplied to a battery-box, the invention consists of the construction andarrangement of parts which will now be described as follows:

In each form of the device, the supporting plate comprises an uprightportion, a horizontal portion and a depending flange. The uprightportion 1, in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, is preferably of a vertical extentapproximately equal to its horizontal extent, and the same may be trueof the upright portion 1 of F ig. 5, so that a considerable number ofscrews or other fastening means may be distributed through "acomparatively large area from the toptoward the bottom of thebattery-box; thereby holding the'supporting plate securel againstmovement on the battery-box, an also greatly strengthening the side towhich it is secured. As a supplemental securing means, each plate .1,1*, 1" and 1" is provided with a number of prongs or spurs 2 which areembedded in the side or sides of the battery-box as shown in Fig. 3. a

' The horizontal seat or flange in each form of the invention, isindicated at 3, 3 ,and 3 in the several .figures of the dravcingathe"portion 3 being provided with parallel cor-.

v'rugations 4, the part 3 being provided with 5 that the horizontallyapertured seat is held V press these jaws upon or toward the seat 3.,tery-box by means of the vertical attaching in spaced relation above thetop of the batportion 1 and the depending flange 6, thereby providing aclosed space in which a head 7 of the bolt or fastener is normallyseated. The fastener includes a nut 8 which is threaded on a shank 9,this shank being provided with 'a flat outer end 10 which serves as anindex to show when the relatively long narrow head 7 is in its lockingposition or in its detaching position, as will presently appear. In Fig.4, it will be seen that the length of the head 7 is Substantially'equalto or slightly greater than the width between the vertical portion 1 anddepending flange 6, and that its length is lessthan that of any one ofthe slots 5 while its width is slightly less than that of any one ofsaid slots, so that this head may be the slots 5 or interchangedtherewith, and may be turned crosswise of the slots so as to havelockingv engagement with the lower surface of the seat or flange 3, 3 or3. The nut or tightening element 8 includes a tubular portion ofrelatively small diameter which is united with the hexagonal ornoncylindrical portion, and the lower end of the tubular portion of thisnut is non-threaded, While the'upper and lower ends of the shank 9 arenon-threaded, In other words, the elements 8 and 9 are in threadedengagement with one another at their intermediate portions only. Thisprovides for comparatively quick detachment and attachment of the nut 8when desirable. 4 r The cable C extends through a cylindrical portion ofa clamping member 11, and this clamping member may include or beprovided with shims 12 which enables it to clamp cables" of differentdiameters. The clamping member 11 includes an upper jaw 13 and a lowerjaw 14, and these jaws are 3 provided with registering apertures throughwhich the shank 9 extends, a washer 15 may be provided between with theupper jaw 13 andthe nut 8, to add rigidity to this upper jaw andto.frictionally or otherwise engage with nut 8 for preventingit fromjarring loose.- When, the nut 8 is tightened while the head 7 is in thepositionshown in Figs.

2 and 3, the flat outer end 10 will be in the position shown in Figs. 1and 2, thereby indicating to the user that the bolt or fastener is inits locking'position, and it will be seen that-the shank tends to tunnto this locking position in conse uence of tightening of thenut 8thereon. owevQl, .if the frictional engagement between the threads ofthe memoers 8 and 9 is not sufiicient to turn the head easily passed inand out through any one of rugated, as illustrated, the

of the washer 15, so that these elements'may 120 7 to its lockingposition, it may be thus turned by means of the fingers or a wrench inconnection with the flat portion 10, and the nut 8 may then be tightenedto press the jaws 13 and 14 toward one another and to 11 iscorrugated asindicated at 16, and these corrugations may intermesh with thecorrugatlons 4 when the cable is to be held in parallel relation withthe battery-box. as shown in Fig. 1. However, for enabling the clampingmember and cable to be angularl adjusted in'a horizontal plane, and helsecured. in any adjusted position, a washer of lead,- copper or otherappropriate material may be employed, as indlcated at 17 (Fig. 3), or acrosswise-corrugated washer 17 such as illustrated in Fig. 8 may beemployed. This washer maybe of tempered steel, so that the minutepyramids, which are formed by the cross-corrugations, will engage withthe parallel corrugations 4 for securing the device in the desiredadjustment. Where the adjusting block or washer' 17 is employed, thecorrugations of the cable clamp and its supporting seat may beeliminated, as in Figs. 7, 9 and 10, because the apexes of saidminutepyramids will penetrate the surface of the relatively soft sheetmetal supporting plate thereby maintaining the desired adjustment.

Another means of securing the parts in* angular adjustment isillustrated in Fig. 6, wherein the corrugations are concentric. In thisform of the invention, provision is made for vertical adjustment, theadjusting-.block being shown at 18 in Figs. 5 and 6. This adjustingblock has its upper and lower surfaces corrngated concentrically asshown in Fig. 6, or cross-corrugated as'shown in Fig. 8. The adjustingblock 18 is substantially wedge shaped or thicker at one end than at itsother end, and it is obvious that by turn ing this block 18 about theshank 9, the vertical angular position of the cable-C will be changedaccordingly. ,In order that the consequent lateral inclination of theupper jaw 13 may be compensated for, the washer 15 may be replaced by alaterally taperedw washer 15 The peripheral surface of the adjustingblock 18' may be knurled or corsame being true'k be easily rotated byengagement with a thumb or finger of the user. 6

The supporting, plate illustrated in each of the figures may be attachedto a sin le side of the battery-box, it being inten ed 125.

that the-plates shown in Figs. 7 and 9 may be straightenedas shown inFig. 10, since, as previously explained, this 7 pri arily straightplatel can be bent at right-angles.

other 130 as shown in Figs. 7 and 9 On the hand, if desirable, thejoints 19 of the device shown in Fig.7 may be bra-zed, soldered orelectrically welded. In cases where the supporting plate is intended foruse on a new battery-box; that is, where the supporting plate is appliedto the battery-box at the place where the latter'is manufactured, andthe device extends a considerable distance along theedge of the box (aswould the device in Fig. 7), the vertical width .of the plate 1 may beconsiderably less than where the horizontal extent of, the plate isrelatively slight (as in Figs. 1, 2, etc.). Moreover, where the deviceextends around the corner of a box as in Fig. 9, the vertical extent maybe relatively slight.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the cable clampingmember 11 is not only adjustable horizontally about the shank 9, but isalso adjustable to different positions along its supporting seat. Thislongitudinal adjustment can be effected either by adjusting the clampingmember 11 along one of the slots 5 through which.

the shank 9 extends, or the. shank may be interchangeably seated in theapertures of theseries of slots 5; and besides, the clamp is capable ofthevertical adjustment described in connection with Fig. 5. 1

It is not intended to limit this invention to the exact details ofconstruction and arrangement' as shown and specified, but changes may bemade within the sco e of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

What I claim as my invention, is: 1. In a cable-supporting device, asupporting plate attachable to a battery-box or the like and including achannel provided with a series of apertures between its opposite sides,and a combined 'cable-clampengage said opposite sides and prevent itfrom turning beyond the locking position, said fastener including. meansto coact with -said head for rigidly securing the said unit I to saidplate.

.2. In a cable-supporting device, a supporting plate attachable to abattery-box or the like and includinga channel provided with a slotextendin'gtherealong and s aced from the opposite sidesof the channe anda combined cable-clamping and support attaching-unit including a headedfastener whose head is-relatively long and narrow for passing throughsaid slot and for turning across the slot to effect locking engagementwith said plate', the length of said head being substantially equal tothe distance between said sides of the channel and adapted to abutagainst said sides to limit the turning of said fastener, said headhaving curved portions which permit" it to be turned between said sides]into position to pass .justable tightening element coacts with its headand with the apertured seat for pressing said jaws toward one anotherand securing them in rigid relation to said seat, said head beingseatable against the under side of said seat and being movable from itsseeurlng position to a position which permits it to pass through theaperture of sa1d seat. 4. In a cable supporting device, a plateincluding an upright portion and an apertured seat, said upright portionbeing attachable to an upright side of a storage battery-box or the likein such position that the apertured seat will extend over and in spacedrelation to a top portion of the battery-box, said plate also includinga flange which depends from the inner edge of said seat and is adaptedto rest ontop' of the battery-box and space said seat therefrom whileco-act-' ing w1th said upright portion in supporting said seat, acable-clamping device seated on said apertured seat, and a headedfastener to secure said cable-clamping device on said seat, saidfastener having a shank extending through said cable-clamping device andthrough the aperture of said seat, the head of said fastener beingseated in the space under said seat and turnable from its securingposition to a position which permits it to be moved through the apertureof said .apertured adjusting block, on said seat, an

apertured cable-clamping member on said block and a fastener extendingthrough the apertures of said cable-clamping member, adjusting block andsupporting plate, said adjusting block having two opposite facescorrugated and inclined toward one another and movably engagedrespectively with said supporting plate and cable-clamping member tocoact with said fastener for holding said cable-clamping member rigidwith said plate, said adjusting block being turnable porting plateincluding a vertical portion forattachment to a vertical side of abatlate including a;

tery-box or the like said horizontal seat provided wlth apertures andwith a V-shaped notch between two of said apertures and having its apexat said vertical portion, the latter being weakened along a verticalline at said apex to permit said plate to be easily bent to conform to avertical corner of the battery-box in such relation that said horizontalportion will extend over two top edges of the battery-box, and meansinterchangeably securable in said apertures for holding a cable in anelected position on either one or the other of said top edges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand MERRITT D. woon-

